So I have been a practitioner of witchcraft for a ton of years, but I have always ignored astrology. It was just never part of the art that i felt i needed in my craft. And I still don't feel it is a super important part of the craft, but that it can have its benefits.

I have only just scratched the surface of what my Sun Sign means, and a few others through out the years. And I know about things like mercury retrograde, and a little about mars retrograde.

so where should I begin? what are the best books, websites, teachers, etc?

Are you looking for general information, or how astrology would relate to witchcraft/magic?

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

Electional astrology is western astrology. It's simply used to pick the absolute best time to start a project or do a magical working. It's very useful if you're cooking up some big or important juju and want to get the most bang for your buck.

The link actually does provide definitions of the astrological terminology if you actually read the page.

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

Ahh, yeah his courses are fantastic but they are VERY expensive. Also the items he makes are omigosh expensive! But the CD texts aren't too bad, and if you join the discussion lists(there's a yahoo group too, but I hate navigating those boards), there's a lot you can learn from those as well.

Np! Yeah, the site is great, and it's old traditional astrology, not the new-age fluffy astrology that most people are familiar with, which I think is why so many people are turned off by the subject.

Edited by Aurelian, 19 July 2016 - 02:20 PM.

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

What I'm referencing is the reductive, simplistic astrology common in pop culture. The sort that extols things like 'you are your sun sign,' or that an aries and a gemini could never make a good romantic match, or you had better halt your entire life because, god forbid, mercury Rx has rolled around again!

Edited by Aurelian, 19 July 2016 - 03:59 PM.

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

@Aurelian..I understand. That is not real astrology, though simple sun sign astrology is a place to start. Understanding the energies of the signs and the planets and the houses, elements, modalities and aspects takes a long time to really understand. I studied everything and it was still a confusing mass of contradictions. It takes time to really get a feel for it and be able to synthesize well. Some people are naturally better at it and I am not. I had to struggle and it took years for it all to come together as a cohesive whole. I am competent, but not a pro but I also don't want to overanalyze.

I sometimes use electional astrology but I usually just pay attention to the natal chart, synastry and what is going on right now. I think electional astrology is a good tool for timing but I am very guided and that is how I know when to act, but I noticed that I was doing special rituals 3 days before the new moon. I didn't pay attention to the moon phases but I would always find myself driving out to the ocean, and it took a while for me to notice that date was always 3 days before the new moon. I don't know why but that is the high power day of the month for me. and it doesn't seem to matter what kind of spell I am working on. The full moon is useful too but it packs less of a punch because it is an opposition rather then a conjunction. I never used the phases of the moon because I read something in a book. I noticed a pattern, and it probably took a long time for the penny to drop.

When I started learning astrology I kind of ignored the elements because I thought they were boring. That is fluffy, but you have to start somewhere. Eventually I learned that yes, the elements are very important, and if you just know about that, and a little bit about the sun signs then you can use it. It won't make you an expert or an authority but that little bit of understanding is better then no understanding.

If you start out fluffy but work your puffy little tail off then you will learn.

I totally agree! You have to learn the basics before any of it is useful. I started studying astrology a little before I started practicing witchcraft, and I still have a ton to learn. As it sounds like you very well know, astrology is as deep an intricate a subject as witchcraft is, and takes a lot of study and time to really master.

I'm no good at cartomancy myself, so I use astrology and other forms of divination when I need it. It's good stuff though!

Been racking my brain to think of good beginner book recommendations for RF, but all mine are in storage. Hmm.

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

Aurelian, I was like you, in that I was guided to learn astrology before I started doing magic. I obsessed over the astrology for about 2 years, and then things changed and the magic training began. I have guardians that guide me, but I was not conscious of that when I took up the astrology. I was going to be an expert and become certified and devote my life to it. That didn't happen but I learned what I needed to know. I also don't read cards because I was guided away from that. I had an interest but I was never motivated to pursue it.

The way I use astrology for magic is not for timing but for reading the energy. If I have someones chart then I can see, feel, and sense the energy, as a map of the psyche. If there is a problem with the chart or with the person then I can manipulate the energy. Some people use blood or hair or DNA in their spells, but if I have the map, that is the key to the kingdom. It works best if I have an accurate chart but even having a basic idea of where the planets are is enough. So if I know a person's age and sunsign, that's adequate.

I can almost feel it now without a chart. I am not quite there, but it is coming together. If I don't have a chart then I can use a horary technique.

That is how I use astrology for magic. This wouldn't work for everybody because we all have our ways. This works well for me and that's how I use it.

The other thing that is critical is how motivated you are to learn astrology. You have to be interested. If it isn't interesting to you, then you probably don't need to know it. If you can't apply it in a useful way then it isn't necessary to learn. Your time and effort is better applied towards the techniques that work for you.

I can synthesize a chart and tell somebody about themselves, things they already know. That is kind of pointless because they can look up their chart online and explaining the astrology to someone who knows nothing about it is difficult and not something I want to do. If there is a problem that I am trying to address then I will look at what seems pertinent and I will explain as much as I feel is necessary but I won't go through every planet and aspect because I don't want to. They can look it up. If I want to look at somebody's chart for my own purposes then I will give them a little reading because that is only polite.

RF, if I recall correctly, there's a guy named Dusty White who does/teaches/writes about astrology. I think he was on Cairelle's old boards - I know she thinks highly of him.

For purposes of action nothing is more useful than narrowness of thought combined with energy of will.~ Henri Frederic AmielYou can access my blog and get autographed copies of my books throughmy website

I’ve always enjoyed astrology… it’s like a guilty pleasure, hobby of mine and I’m always learning more about it. Once beyond the basics, it’s a terrifically intricate area study an useful addition one’s magical toolbox.

I’ve got a few questions:

@Belle:

The way I use astrology for magic is not for timing but for reading the energy.

Which energy? Personal or Planetary energy ? Or Both?

If I have someones chart then I can see, feel, and sense the energy, as a map of the psyche.

Psyche or Personality ?

If there is a problem with the chart What kind of ‘problems’ could a chart have?or with the person...lol… people can have LOTS of problems beyond their scope of their chart… then I can manipulate the energy. Which energy? The chart's energy? person’s energy or the planets energy?

Some people use blood or hair or DNA in their spells, but if I have the map, so is it fair to say you uses someone’s chart as Tag Lock? that is the key to the kingdom. It works best if I have an accurate chart but even having a basic idea of where the planets are is enough.

In real time or at the time of the person’s birth?

So if I know a person's age and sunsign, that's adequate.Adequate enough for what?

What does ‘synthesizing’ a chart mean?

Thanks in advance for enlightening me

Edited by Nikki, 19 July 2016 - 11:20 PM.

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The difference between Medicine and Poison is the Dose. I Love you as certain Dark Things are to be Loved, In Secret, Between the Shadow and the Soul.- Pablo Neruda

The planetary energy and the person's energy are the same thing at least they are as perceived in that way. There is more to it then I consciously understand.

I can sense the energies and how they interact.. I feel it as a whole, but sometimes it is hard to explain what I feel. It isn't necessary for me to do that.

If I see a problem with the chart then I will look for a way to support the problem and look for repeating themes. It is sort of like a puzzle.

Sometimes I might use it as a tag lock, or not. ...I delete and don't hoard charts.

I want the correct natal chart but sometimes I can't have that so I will settle for less. The general time period would show where most of the planets are and what some of them are doing. ...If I have nothing then I can use the chart of the moment.

If I look at a chart because a person is having a problem then I want to help them. I will see if I can find out what is causing the problem and look for helpful aspects. Sometimes the news is that they are going to have to wait it out. Problems in the chart have to be adapted. If there is a T[ square then you hope to find supporting aspects to the planets involved. If I can't find them then I have to find a different way to provide support.

That is how I was trained. Even just using the chart as a mandala is useful.

I don't make any guarantees but this method is important for my work.

That answers a few questions but I can't really answer the why, or the how. There is a lot more to it then I can get into

OH, Belle.... I love that link/article !!! It makes perfect sense and I can literally see how and why synthesis is necessary.

Thanks for that.

I also LOVE the mandala imagery, too !!!

Please bear with me - as I try to synthesize this myself:

- So, once someone's natal chart is synthesized, then you tailor make a spell to 'correct' the energy for that person - at THAT exact moment in time?

( I'd use the term 'balance' or 'counterbalance' instead of 'correct'... but that's my WC lingo shining through.) Same idea, different words.

-With just a Sun sign / Age: Are those two bits of info enough to 'construct' a natal chart accurate enough to 'correct' their specific RT problem ?

And, to craft a specific planetary energy based spell?

OR it's more like - The SKY is like this right now, You're a Virgo, and pretty much (financially) screwed for the next 3 years, type thing?

Cuz, I'm thinking ...

(forgive my ignorance)

if I hadn't a clue what their Second house looked like, or that it contained something like Pisces and lots of it (gods forbid...lol) how would one go about crafting a suitable spell to 'correct' this longstanding (past, present, future) issue? <---- more rhetorical, but if there's a practical Astrological answer, lay it on me !!

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The difference between Medicine and Poison is the Dose. I Love you as certain Dark Things are to be Loved, In Secret, Between the Shadow and the Soul.- Pablo Neruda

You could use it however you want. I know that your approach is different then mine, so you would use in a way that makes sense to you.

If you don't have the exact time of birth, then you cannot look at houses. Often people will say 'I was born in the morning' or some unknown time. That is useless. If they don't know the exact time then you can't use vague information to set up a chart. But you can look at the aspects between the planets, and that is a big part of the picture.

I set up a noon chart because you want to know the relative position of the moon and what sign it is in. The moon moves fast, about 8 degrees a day. With a noon chart you know that the moon is within approximately 4 degrees of the placement that is shown on the noon chart and hopefully you can determine the sign and the aspects will be close enough to get a good picture. The main thing I look at for the manipulation is the aspects. For example, I don't usually use asteroids but I might if someone needs a blue line, and an asteroid can be found to provide support.

I use Astro,com extended chart selection because are many options available. In that format the squares and oppositions are red, and the sextiles and trines are blue. I mostly care about how the planets interact with each other. Who are the friends and foes and how can I make them get along.

I do know astrology and I observe the rules as I understand them, but subconsciously I know more then I can comprehend so by using the chart as a mandala you are working with the energy both consciously and subconsciously.

That is basically how I use it for magic. As for interpretation and synthesis I would look at what is interesting to me. Some charts are frankly boring and I don't care anything about where their planets are, while i find other charts to be very interesting.

With just a sun sign/age I don't invest much energy into that. I will look at the ephemeris to see approximately where their planets are and I don't even draw up a chart.

If I had nothing at all, I could use a horary technique and look at the chart of the moment. Really I am not good at horary but I know the simple rules. One of the accepted rules is that the chart is erected for the time the astrologer receives the question. I could look at that chart and treat it as a horary. This is just to absorb the energy, and the act of simply thinking about it is 'doing something'.

Another trick is to use a composite chart to combine the energies of 2 people...I personally don't use a Composite chart much for interpretation. I don't care about it but combining the energy of 2 people, is a symbolic way to do that.

These techniques work for me because I was taught to use it this way. As you probably are aware I am one who was entirely taught from within. My guardians trained me so they will honor the techniques that we use and facilitate the 'magic'...Of course I had to study and learn in the usual way but the way I apply is as I was taught.

I don't use the astrology for timing usually. Occasionally I will do something when an aspect in the sky is exact if it feels important. If timing is a concern I would pay attention to the current planetary conditions.

This is just one tool I use. It is useful in many different ways. When you are doing a spell and you want to work with a person that you have never met and you have no name or information except their birthchart then you have their unique energy signature. That is useful. I am sure that you don't need anything to know exactly who you are working with. I don't either. I know who they are and can single them out without any information except the knowledge that 'that is them'..but the astrology is better then any other identifying information.

If I wanted to correct neptune energy, which is Pisces or the 12th house, I would use Saturn. Neptune dissolves, Saturn rebuilds. I always want to find a Neptune/Saturn connection because the Neptune needs the structure that Saturn provides. So I would try and find a connection.

When looking at transits sometimes the picture is bleak, but you can see when things will get better, and find a way to look on the bright side. I might make a suggestion and say 'that sucks but you have that planet well placed in your natal chart so you can handle it"..By making that suggestion then it inspires the planetary energy of the native to step up to the plate and do it's duty as per the natal promise.

Some of this might sound off the wall and maybe it is, but it works for me. It could work for you and I am sure you would develop your own system that has the integrity that you require.